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'Exactly - and you'd get in the way. Soldier! Yes, you there. Escort this man down to the civilians'

encampment and get someone to look after him.'

'Yes, sir, I. .. '

He was interrupted by a cry that went up from the soldiers on the lower tier of the wall. Rhys and Stevens turned to see what the commotion was about. In the far distance above the advancing demons, hovered something else, black against the clear blue sky. It too was heading towards Dinorben, but faster than the demons.

'What is it?' Stevens asked. He couldn't believe they had planes or helicopters in Tír na n-Óg,

'By all that's ... ' Rhys spat. 'It is the arch-traitor Goibhnie come to lead the attack of his agents against us.' He forgot the presence of Stevens and turned to shout to the squad of men and Sidhe who were manning the enormous bolt-flinger.

'Get that thing ready,' he shouted. 'We'll take the fiend out before he even gets close.'

One of the huge wooden bolts was loaded into place and the crank turned to prepare it for firing. It did not appear to Stevens that the machine could possibly work, but presumably these people knew what they were at. Dryfid and one of the Sidhe came up to Rhys.

'What are you doing, Captain Rhys?' Dryfid asked.

'I'm not going to let Goibhnie gloat over our destruction,’ Rhys snarled.

'Is that why he has come?' the Sidhe asked.

'With all due respect, my lord Ydvort, there can be no doubt about it.'

'Captain Rhys, we should not act too hastily. Let us see what Goibhnie intends before we strike at him. Maybe, as in days of old, he has come to lend us some help. '

'Have you forgotten what he did to our troops whom we sent to talk to him when the darkness began?'

'Of course I have not, Captain. General Nuada has never let us forget.'

'Well then.'

'Captain, I am the leader of the Tuatha de Danaan,' Dryfid reminded him.

'I take orders from General Nuada, sir.'

'But Nuada is not present,' Ydvort told him. 'In such circumstances, surely your people's leader may command you.'

'Yes, sir. But I intend to find General Nuada.' He stormed off.

Dryfid went up to the men on the bolt-flinger. 'Relieve some of the tension in this thing. We don't want it going off accidentally, do we?'

Stevens approached Dryfid and tapped him on the shoulder. 'Excuse me, sir?'

'Yes, what is it? You ... you are one of the Earth people, are you not? I am surprised you did not use the changed circumstances to return to your world.'

'I find all of this far too interesting. What is this Goibhnie thing that is corning here?'

'I haven't time to answer questions. I have many things to do. ' He turned and looked out across the plain. Stevens followed the direction of his gaze to the flying thing. He wondered what it was that could cause such conflicting emotions of hatred from Captain Rhys and the yearning love that he had heard in Dryfid's voice.

David seemed to have some idea of where he was going, for at times he would stride ahead, leaving Jack behind. At other times, though, he would pause inexplicably at a bend in a passageway and immediately double back without a word to Jack.

'David, will you stop doing that?'

David took a quick right turn. 'Doing what?' he called back over his shoulder.

Jack rushed forward and took hold of David's shoulder to top him. 'Rushing off ahead of me. I mean, what are you doing? You said we were looking for Ace, but you keep ignoring one corridor and then going halfway up another and then switching direction. '

'We are looking for Ace. I'm fairly sure she's this way.' He pointed off down the passage.

'What do you mean, you're fairly sure she's this way? How can you tell?'

'I've just got this feeling, Jack. Maybe it's her animal magnetism, but it's like she's calling to me. And I'm fairly sure she's calling me this way.'

‘Are you sure it's her? I mean, it might be the tooth fairy.’

‘Hey, I’m not talking bull, Jack. Come on, she's this way.' He pulled loose of Jack and almost ran up the corridor. Jack gave an exasperated slap to his forehead but followed his friend. What else could he do?